Of Hearts and Guts
by Aki Jun
Summary: Oreki wakes up to a busy city and another dead body. For Chitanda/Oreki fluff and crime solving click here! (SLOW FIC)
1. Cold like a corpse

(Quick note: I changed all the dates up so they would match the anime, not the novels. For instance, Oreki was originally born in 1984, but the anime adapted it to 1996, so that's a 12 year gap!)

* * *

 **Tokyo, 2017**

A phone buzzed against hard wood until the young man felt annoyed enough to pick up. He yawned as he threw a searching hand from underneath the covers, the frigid air of his apartment against his bare skin immediately making him doubt his decision (he wondered why he slept shirtless during cold, harsh February). Before he clicked the green button on the screen, he took some time to check the white numerals above the name of his caller. "… Who dares to die at 5 am?" Sleepy green orbs narrowed at the thought. He decided to take the call before the sound of his phone bugged him longer.

"Detective Ore-" He couldn't have helped yawning if he had tried. He hadn't. "Oreki here. You have exactly 3 minutes." Everyone knew how grumpy he could get when shoved out of dreamland.

"Sir, we know this must be a bad time for you, but do pay attention for I will not repeat my words." He heard the woman on the other end of the line say. "A call has just arrived reporting a possible murder. We'll be sending you the address via text message as soon as we possibly can. Your partner, Liv Kurosawa, has already been notified and-"

"That's all I needed to know, thanks. Send the address and tell my boss I'm on the way." With a touch on the screen, the young detective finished their conversation. Before he was given time to fall back to sleep, the text message came with another anxious buzz.

"Another day, another murder. Isn't the modern world just _wonderful_?"

* * *

Oreki Houtarou had a simple and average life – he didn't fit a busy city like Tokyo at all.

The first time he had arrived in the city, he was eighteen and just barely out of High School. Moving out was something he was personally unfamiliar with, having lived his whole life in Kamiyama, so getting used to his new environment took him quite a few months. Oh, why did his parent's find a better job in the city? The streets were loud, far too loud, even during the night. Looking up at skyscrapers while trying to find the clouded sky above was useless and gave him serious neck ache. Neighbors weren't as amicable as they were back in his home town, and the same can apply for any shopper and customer around the city.

Houtarou was absolutely sure that Tokyo had transformed him into an even more closeted person. He didn't smile to the elderly, he didn't like to converse with his own friends as much. Maybe looking at dead people every day didn't help his situation.

Yes, Houtarou was now a detective. Who would have guessed? Nobody, really, aside from Oreki Tomoe, his infernal older sister, who set him up to it without telling him a word.

For months he had showed great disinterest in the job she had gotten him, thinking that it was too troublesome for someone like him, but attended every work day nonetheless (if not only for the generous payment at the end of every month).

After training for extensive periods of time every day (his muscles were about to deflate, at some point, he felt) and learning how to properly shoot his firearms without hurting himself, Houtarou showed the incredible power of deduction he had been hiding the whole time under a mess of brown curls (his sister probably already knew this would happen). He would often help in simple cases of thievery or drug dealing, mostly because: "Even a child could crack them." he said once, not even aware he had just insulted every agent from those two divisions.

Houtarou's boss, a much older woman who could make snakes fear her, noticed how useful his skills of deduction had proven to be, and assigned him to the murder division as a detective. "We don't have many agents working here, and I think you'd be perfect for the job." Of course, he hated the idea, but still accepted. That woman was _really_ terrifying.

That same year, he moved out his parent's house.

It's worth telling that Houtarou wasn't a complete loner, though he didn't enjoy having company as much as he did when he was in his teens.

Ibara Mayaka, his friend since earlier middle school years, had also moved to Tokyo around the same time he did, in order to pursue her dream career. She wasn't as famous of a Mangaka as she'd probably prefer to be, but she did have a few popular works published.

Satoshi – Houtarou's best friend – had stayed in Kamiyama until 2016, when Ibara asked him to come to the big city live with her. They have only been dating for 2 years, but since they've known each other for so long, it barely feels odd that they are already this serious about their relationship. Those two were absolute sweethearts, and they fit each other like two souls separated at birth. The three would sometimes hang out together.

His other friend (and crush of many years), the intelligent beauty that was Chitanda Eru, had gone to an expensive university outside of Kamiyama where she studied business for a few months. She was getting excellent grades as expected, from what Ibara (the only person who still spoke with her on a daily basis) told the boys, but was apparently forced to stop when her dad fell victim to a disease that would completely deprive him of any movement. Houtarou felt bad for her, really, even so far from the girl. She was single handedly managing a business she didn't like, or even really knew much about, but she was giving it her all. It was her family business; she was supposed to make her parents proud of their heiress!

His love for her had only grown more over the years, really, but what was he supposed to do now? The two hadn't spoken to each other in so long… How was Houtarou supposed to tell her how he felt? How was he even supposed to enter her life again? She had so much on her mind already. She was destined to stay in Kamiyama, and who knew if she was even still single?

Houtarou often remembered her breathtaking eyes, her smooth locks of jet black hair and her delicate and womanly figure, and fell in love with her, all over again. He tried to hide his feelings even from himself, but just thinking about them brought up so many memories…

* * *

The sirens of police cars echoed in a familiar way. Houtarou parked his car somewhere nobody could ever find it and stepped out, his nose reddening as the wind hit him.

He looked from side to side; as he approached what he could only assume was the house of the victim, he spotted a blonde female who was already taking some personal notes. That was most definitely Liv, his partner. The originally American woman (who moved to Japan when she was 12) was only three years older than Houtarou, standing at exactly twenty-four, but she actually looked _younger_. Her hair, long and curly and always in a ponytail, was blonde like the sun light, and her eyes were almost as green as Houtarou's, just a shade or two above. Her nails were always painted with a cheery color of orange and her huge smile was usually glossed with a soft color that gave her the mature look she so desired.

Personally, the young detective couldn't have asked for someone more capable, she was everything he wasn't and so they found a way to harmoniously complement each other's work.

Houtarou greeted his partner with a monotone voice. "Morning."

Liv turned to him and smiled knowingly. "Man, I'd almost say you look as bad as the poor sod over there." The wind was doing some awful things to his hair, and his nose was about to freeze off his face (he had always been more sensitive about the cold after getting stranded on that warehouse with Eru). The bags under his eyes were surely carving some kind of portal to another dimension.

"Great, then I do look as awful as I feel." He added with a sight. Houtarou was already bored to the bone with this case.

"Oh, come now, it's no biggie!" Liv, always grinning, stepped a bit closer. She tried to tame his curls with a trained hand, but they wouldn't do as commanded. "Just give them a good shove and-"

"-And they'll stay exactly the same way." Houtarou stopped her hand with his own, pushing it out of his head. The continued touch (or the cold perhaps?) caused Liv's cheeks to grow hotter, a red hue washing the whiteness of her skin. She jolted her hand to her side when she realized she had started to stare. Houtarou too noticed this and couldn't help his curious eyebrow from rising. "Are you okay?"

"Yes!" Liv shrugged his question off with a laugh. "Let's just talk about dead people! Then you can you go home right?"

Houtarou closed his eyes, breaking his poker face. "I'd absolutely love that."

"Great! Fantastic. So, just, follow me. The dead guy's over there." She motioned as she removed a small notebook filled with notes from her pocket. "I already talked with the person who filed the report. It was the victim's gardener. He was just leaving his shift – that, by the way, is _awful_ , I mean, who cuts grass until 5 in the morning? – when he saw the body of the ground." Liv flipped through her notes. "He said he didn't see anyone or anything that might have killed him."

"This person's most definitely rich. Are there really no security cameras that you could have just… checked before you called me?"

"Hey, _I_ didn't call you. The annoying lady from the station did, she was the one who called me as well." Puffed cheeks and stubbornly crossed arms – nobody would ever think she was the older one. "And, yes, mister I-was-promoted-to-detective-in-only-2-years, there _are_ security cameras around the house, but not around _here_. _The garden_. I'm guessing whoever did this probably knew that."

Yet another sigh escaped the male's throat. "Is there any chance this is still just suicide?" He'd do anything to go back to sleep…

"You lazy ass." Liv smirked, amused green eyes narrowing to her side. "This is clearly not suicide; you will have to think about this one. Sorry, pal!"

The two partners finally reached the crime scene which was located in the backyard, where indeed laid a lifeless body. The scene was incredibly bloody, dark red overwhelming the cheerful color of the tiles on the ground. "Ugh. I should have gotten myself another job when I had the chance." The corpse hadn't been moved, so it was still the way the killer had left it: face down and with several stabbings showing off the back.

Houtarou began his analysis, as it was his job and it fit nicely with his motto of 21 years: 'If i don't have to do it i won't. If i have to do it _I'll make it quick_ '. "Male, probably thirty-something, these cuts look profound, so they probably reached his vital organs. I'm guessing this is cause of death."

"Nice, now tell me something I don't know, please?" She only smiled.

The young man's frown, albeit venomless, was sharp and honest. "… This looks like it was made by a normal knife; see if any are missing in his kitchen. Though I honestly doubt it since you said nobody saw anything weird about the camera footage." He kept scanning through the clues, rubber gloves on. "This here looks like it could be a blonde hair, if it's the killer's, at least now we have DNA."

"Thanks." Liv wrote down this new information and called for two more agents, ordering one of them to look for a missing kitchen knife and the other to collect and analyze hair and other particles from the scene. "Anything else?"

"… Yeah." Something seemed off. As Houtarou tried to move the body, a message, written in blood, revealed itself from underneath. "71VV... If I've seen enough crime novels, all I have to do to crack this dying message is turn it upside down." The male detective tilted his head slightly. "There we go, JIM. This is going to be important, so write that down as well."

She nodded and obliged. "On to the things I can tell you: You were right about age, he is (was?) 31. I talked to the woman he was going to marry over there-" She pointed at a blonde pregnant lady whose face was swollen with tears. Next to her, another fair-haired, older woman, patted and massaged her back. "-a woman named Jimoujou Naoko. Their marriage was arranged, but apparently they loved each other quite a lot. I guess arranged marriages are a thing among rich families, huh?" Houtarou could only think of Eru, forcefully marrying somebody who she doesn't love and doesn't love her… Oh, why did he always make himself sad and frustrated?

Houtarou shook his head into reality. "Still don't know his name, Liv."

"Oh! Right. His name's Chitanda Yuzo and he works-"

The name hit his ears like an uncontrolled train on its tracks. Along with even more painful feelings related to Eru, it brought him memories and many, many questions. "What… what did you say his name was?"

"… Chitanda Yuzo. Aw man, did I mess up the order of the names again?! I've learned how it works ages ago but I can never-"

Houtarou cut her words again. "No! That's… not it." The only thing he could do was run his hands through his hair in a soon-to-be worried fashion. Was this person a close relative to Eru? What was he doing all the way here? Did Eru know about his death? Was Chitanda just that much of a common surname? "Liv, talk to the neighbors. I, uh… I have to contact someone."

He ran away from his partner without even waving or explaining his rush.

 **He needed desperately Chitanda's phone number, and Ibara was the only person who had it.**

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 **I'm known for writing multi-chapters I never finish, but I'll try to shy away from that! I have the next chapter basically finished already so you ain't got to worry. Thanks a lot for reading and be sure to leave a review!  
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	2. You pick up yourself

(Hey! I'm **so** very sorry I took this long, I'm a horrible person, I know ;w; I've been off my game when it comes to writing. I swear I will NOT abandon this work. My love goes to all you wonderful people who stick around with me and my awful timing.)

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Who knew that getting someone to pick up their phones at six in the morning was so complicated? And his torment didn't end when his calls finally reached who he wanted, oh no; he had yet to hear another trail of insults and pointless bickering from Mayaka, as well as a few sly side comments from her boyfriend, Satoshi. How they even managed to talk so much after just waking up, Houtarou did not know.

All that mattered that moment, as he held his phone in the darkness of his apartment, was the specific combination of numbers he had persuaded Mayaka to send him (but only after denying his wish to confess his love for the owner of said number, of course).

" _It's not very cute, you know -" She said once Satoshi_ _ **finally**_ _ceased laughing like an idiot. "- Calling your crush after who even still knows how many years just to chat about dead people." Houtarou could hear a yawn leaving her. "But, alas, you've never been cute… Or even a normal human being, really, so I'm not surprised." He simply rolled his eyes. They were only taking this situation so lightly because they didn't know about the… details which made this murder different; more important to him than the others he had investigated before. After all, an agent isn't allowed to talk about their cases with outsiders._

He shrugged them off, saying that he wasn't _trying_ to make this call cute or romantic, or even remotely about him…

Still, he didn't want to hurt _her_. This was still Eru, the girl he loved and missed terribly.

What was he even supposed to say once she picked up the phone? "Hi, I'm Oreki Houtarou from High-School. It's been years and I'm only calling because someone close to you just died!" It sounded ridiculous and he knew it, as true of an explanation as it was.

Chitanda Eru was a wonderful young lady, taught from girlhood to act with kindness towards others, to grow up to be the perfect heiress and take on her family's business with grace. She who blossomed into one of the most beautiful people he had ever laid eyes upon, with her incredible hair and her shiny violet orbs. He remembered her long eyelashes (she got too close to comfort far too often) and the softness of her hands. He missed all these things terribly.

No, Eru _wasn't_ perfect; he knew this better than anyone. She was a bit of an airhead, a naïve but determined soul who would always let her emotions drive her actions. He missed these things just as much.

Houtarou took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He clicked the 'call' button while simultaneously letting out the air from his lungs, trying to calm himself. He was nervous, too nervous to sit idly. The young man didn't know if she would take his call at such an early hour in the morning (farmers woke up early, though, right?), or if she would respond to a number she didn't recognize. He wasn't even sure she would like to hear his voice again after so many years of silence from both parties. He never seeked her out, yes, but neither did she. What did that mean, he wondered?

…

…

…

Click. "Good morning. Who is this?" A polite, feminine voice asked.

His body went stiff as if his brain had forgotten how to operate his lungs. He coughed awkwardly, gathering every ounce of courage he could muster. "Uh, yes… Good morning. Sorry for calling so early and… so late at the same time. I-"

"O… Oreki-san?" She sounded surprised, happy, confused. So many emotions bursting at the same time, like colorful fireworks during the summer festival; it reminded him of the high-school days he lived after meeting her.

"How did you…" _'Figure me out.'_ Houtarou sighed, amused. He shouldn't bother to ask such a thing; her memory and hearing had always been remarkably (scary) good. "Yes, hello, this is Oreki Houtarou."

"It's been far too long! How have you been?" The overly formal tone she had adopted when she first picked up the phone was completely gone by then. "I-I tried to get in contact but… I'm sure you are aware of the business I run now, as well as the reason as to why this decision was made so early on." She trailed off.

He could only look down. "It's not a big deal." The detective figured that a small, tiny lie wouldn't really hurt anyone. It _did_ bother him that she never made contact, but there were more important things to attend to. "I'm sorry for what happened to your father. Has he recovered at all?"

"I would say he has… But sadly I haven't had much time even for him, who is my father and lives so close to me. Our family doctor told us his life is endangered no more, but he still can't move like any other healthy man his age can. Talking is a painful procedure for him, it seems, and I rather wish he can at least get that back to his life… My father's voice has always been so _kind_." Her tone went soft again, distant. "I remember how every story would sound different if he was the one telling it." She definitely got her gentleness from him, then, he mused.

"I wish him the best…" Houtarou started, guilt building up inside his heart as he prepared to say the next few lines. "Sadly, I didn't call just to chat…"

"I'm sure that's the case. You've become quite a busy person yourself, have you not, Oreki-san? To be quite honest, it's one of the things I never thought would _ever_ happen!" Houtarou's eyebrow twitched slightly at her comment. Even _she_ was going to joke about that, huh. "I can understand why you never called. I'm guilty for own lack of communication just as much but, anyway. If you are just now talking to me, and since I don't recall giving you a reason to do it, you must have a found one on your own…"

"It's true. I…" The green eyed detective let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. " _I'm_ _sorry_ , but my team is investigating the death of Chitanda Yuzo, age 31." Only silence followed. His heart hammered painfully against his chest as he awaited her response. At some point, the pounding even made him believe there was no more space left inside him for oxygen.

"Cousin Yuzo is…?" He had hoped the two Chitandas weren't related, but it _had_ been indeed a while since he had been wrong… "How is this possible?! He is a fantastic doctor! He saves lives every day. Oh, who would want to do such a thing?" Houtarou could certainly detect a pang of sadness as she spoke. She wasn't crying, though; Eru forced her gorgeous, amethyst like eyes to shed no tears.

"That is precisely what we are trying to find out…" The detective wondered if Eru was in danger… Wondered if whoever killed her cousin would eventually come after her as well. He shook his head aggressively, destroying the very thought from his mind. This didn't look like the work of a serial killer and, if it was, he would make sure to catch them before anyone else got hurt. Though this death alone was sure to bring pain to many people. "I was hoping you could tell me a thing or two about him..." He told her calmly. "I-If that isn't too much to ask, of course! Everyone will understand if you need time to…"

Eru sighed softly against her phone. It didn't seem like she wanted to talk, honestly, but she agreed anyway. "I am willing to respond, especially knowing that nobody else from my family will. Once they find out about cousin, they'll pack their bags and fly to Tokyo if they must, but they will still only truly care about paper work." His loved one sounded frustrated all of a sudden, angry even. "That or they'll make a scene, as if big letters on a newspaper could ever catch a killer."

"Um-"

"Oh, I apologize!" Eru jumped suddenly with a quiet yelp. "I didn't mean to sound so cold, I'm sure my family _cares_ but…" The girl trailed off, her tone quiet. It felt like she was about to tell him a huge secret, something that she would get in trouble for if she was heard by anyone else. It made him proud; glad even, that she would trust him with this sort of thing even after so long.

"Cousin used to come over during the summer every year or so... He is 10 years older than me, so our parents would have us play together; he taught me a lot of interesting things! A few years back, his family stopped visiting, and we stopped being so close… I guess that's why I don't mourn his loss as much as I probably would, had… _this_ happened sooner." She got even more quiet. "What I mean to say is, I spent just enough time with cousin Yuzo to know that his parents didn't exactly… care about what he truly wanted. My first few memories of him, in fact, consist of him talking about his future wife and how he had never met her… He was barely 16, Oreki-san, we only worried about silly little school mysteries when we were that age." That brought a smile to his lips, chapped from the cold. Yes, he had spent some tough times around her, being outright _played_ by her hypnotizing glances to explain certain odd situations to her. Back in the day, these moments used to tire him to no end but, thinking back on it he… kind of missed them. He probably missed Eru more than anything, though.

"He didn't seem to like the idea of marrying someone he never knew, but I guess he truly fell in love with his wife-to-be when he finally saw her." Houtarou started to wonder once again if she had ever been assigned to another wealthy and, most likely, handsome man without her saying. "I know it sounds silly, because he very much loved Jimoujou Naoko-san, but I still can't _accept_ the fact his parents decided his future for him." It seemed like Eru surprised herself with her own serious tone. "Ahah, here I go, saying this stuff again… I'm really sorry. I'm kind of messing our moment, am I not?"

Houtarou was just about to assure her she had nothing to worry about when his brain prioritized his words for him. "O-Our moment?" The words sounded much more personal and intimate to him than they should have.

"Of course, Oreki-san, we're finally talking again after years apart from each other. This is kind of a reunion between good friends, is it not?" She obviously didn't sense his embarrassment.

"Why, yes, that's what I-" He breathed unsteadily, his ears and neck hotter growing hotter. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

One moment of silence, then another and yet another one after. "Y-You had questions, yes?"

It was Houtarou's time to jump in his seat, startled and just as flustered as he was before he made this damned call. "Yes! Okay, s-so, I know you kind of did this already, but I would like to know more about him, if that's possible. Things like what he used to do, possible enemies he might have had, etc."

Eru nodded. "Cousin Yuzo spent his entire life dreaming about becoming a doctor, and I guess it's comforting to know he managed to achieve that goal, at least…" She trailed off sadly before she tackled the topic at hand again. "He was going to marry a very beautiful and kind woman who belongs to a very wealthy family from Tokyo. I was even invited to the wedding! I think he told my aunt that she was with child... I wonder how that child will grow up, knowing they never got to meet their father." Nobody ever ruined just one life, when committing a crime like this. "Um, what else… Oh! Naoko-san has a sister, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes, my partner is talking with her right now." Or at least he _hoped_ she was. Liv was a great partner and she rarely slacked, but the older woman was such an unpredictable little devil when the sun was facing the wrong way.

"Oh! You even have a partner, hum?" She chuckled, no doubt trying to lift her own spirits up. "Your life sounds like straight out of a crime novel, no? I bet you even own a gun!"

"I-I do actually." Aside from catching bad guys, his license was one of the things he was most proud of, regarding his professional life. Maybe being a detective was tiring and bothersome, but there is probably not a single person in this world who wouldn't feel _great_ holding a gun. "My partner's name is Kurosawa Liv. If you get a call from her, just know you can trust her. Oh and, she's originally from America, so don't even bother using her surname when referring to her. She feels really weird when people do that." Houtarou was smirking to himself, involved by the darkness of him room. Calling his partner 'Kurosawa' had always been his first option whenever he was trying to annoy her.

"Your partner is a girl? Incredible! A woman among very stubborn men, I see. I bet she's very cool!"

' _I'm not stubborn.'_ He thought to himself, pouting. "Well, don't ever tell her I said this, but she kind of is."

Eru giggled honestly; a happy and wonderful noise that ringed beautifully against his ear. "You two seem very close."

"Yeah, we are." It took him two seconds to register what he had just said. "B-But, s-she's not… We're not…" Houtarou tried to get the words out. Sadly, he only kept getting tangled in his own tongue. He wanted to make sure Eru didn't misunderstand, though he was probably doing a very poor job at that.

"O-Oh! I didn't assume… that you two were… involved." Damn him and everything he believes in. Just to prove how unlucky Houtarou was and will always be, his poor attempt of an explanation just got her thinking about the two partners.

"That's… great, because we're really not… You know." That damned silence was back, striking him with yet another overwhelming wave of embarrassment. Oh, and it hit him _hard_ – Houtarou allowed himself to fall carelessly on his bed, face towards the ceiling, covered by free his hand. This call was not turning out the way he was expecting (though his expected view included a sad and tearful Eru, so he guessed this _was_ better after all). "Please just… keep answering my questions."

"Right!" Eru nodded sharply from the other end of the phone line. "You asked if he had any enemies… Well, I can't say for sure. I have not spoken with him for so long, but I'm guessing there _are_ other wealthy families who wouldn't like him very much… After all, his marriage was going to make his parent's company very rich, and cousin's success as a doctor brought many people to his office from other hospitals." The black haired young woman gasped suddenly, truly mortified. "Do… Do you think it's possible cousin died because of greed? Because of _money_ , of all things!?"

"People… have done worst things for much less." Eru grew up never having to worry about her financial problems, and the young woman had never been greedy like most successful people out there, so it was probably hard for her to understand crimes like these… He, however, had seen (and solved) enough to know when to spot good motive for murder. "So, essentially what you're saying is, someone may have felt like this marriage was going to compromise their business."

"I suppose. Even the timing of the crime would suggest that." She sighed, clearly shaken. Eru had spent quite a lot of time with Yuzo; he had taught her things, played with her every time she asked him to and helped probably even eased her wild curiosity once or twice. To see someone so precious, so selfless (a doctor, for crying out loud!) be removed out from this world because of someone's selfish needs… It was probably too much to handle. The detective suddenly felt like hugging her.

"Well, I think I've asked enough. I should also get back to work." Leaving like that had probably been a horrible idea. He hadn't spent enough time around the crime scene, and now most of the evidence (though now neatly organized in sterilized containers) was out of place and context. "If you think up of something that may be useful to the investigation, please don't hesitate to call."

"… Can I also call if I find time to just _chat_?" Eru sounded shy, and he could tell she was being completely honest. "I-I don't make any promises, I will probably be very busy anyway! I-I just thought that-"

"Yes."

"Eh?"

"You can… You can call if you just want to talk." If meeting her wasn't an option, talking to her on the phone would have to suffice. He just wanted to be in contact, to remind her every day that he exists and very much remembers her. He hoped that one day he would even find the courage and strength he needs to flirt and/or confess. That, however, is not something he expected to do very soon.

He wasn't sure smiles made any noise, but he heard her grin anyway. "That's fantastic! Very well. Expect a call from me soon, as I will be waiting for updates on Yuzo's case. And, please, Oreki-san?"

"Yes?"

" **Bring justice to my cousin.** I know my words probably don't mean much to someone who never actually met the victim but, **he was truly a great man.** "

"I absolutely will." He assured in a surprisingly serious tone. "We will talk, soon, then. Goodbye."

"Yes, goodbye."

Silence filled the air once again; except it arrived with overwhelming confidence and determination this time. Instead of beating him down into a boyish blushing mess, it empowered him. When he rose up from his bed he stood just a little bit taller.

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 **I will be uploading the rest in a 1-2 day time period, just because this thing was getting way too bit.**


	3. For hearts don't break

(I'm flexing my muscles here, people! Flexing them and writing as fast as I can without (hopefully) wreaking the quality of these chapters. Don't expect much Oreki x Chitanda from this chapter, save those hopes for next chapter! And, as always, thanks for reading!)

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The young detective set one foot inside the police station of Tokyo, his hands and nose numb from cold the temperatures that battled outside. He couldn't quite recall a winter this harsh, but then again, he had only lived in this city for three years, so he didn't have enough data to comment on this phenomenon. Perhaps righteous Mother Nature had finally quit passively accepting the mistakes of men; maybe she singlehandedly took the reins of the world that is rightfully hers, and made the lives of those who ruined it a living hell. Houtarou doesn't complain: he just assumed hell would be hotter. Regardless of whatever happened outside, the station had always been perfect, temperature wise. It was something Houtarou appreciated, having to spend his days inside the facility.

He passed many doors and hallways, scarf and gloves already put aside, searching only for a specific American blonde. The interrogation rooms usually flooded with people during a murder investigation (from officers to suspects and even cleaning ladies), but Houtarou knew his partner would be nowhere near those rooms just yet. The two of them had a system, you see, one that worked quite well, if he was allowed to brag. Liv would never call in anyone for interrogation without his approval, and Houtarou would never allow an interrogation to take place without Liv present to make some questions herself. She was great at it; it was even her favorite part of an investigation. One should be allowed _some_ fun at work, yes?

Liv's people skills were on the verge of being labeled ridiculous for how good they were; she could understand every glance, taste and twist every lie, and there was probably not a single person she couldn't get information out of. She was almost the perfect detective, _almost_ , if it weren't for her horrible marksmanship and poor attention to clues. Oh, and gods above please save him, but what a _terrible_ singer this young woman was. Seriously, Houtarou would never go to another karaoke cop gathering again if it meant drinking more cheap alcohol while listening to her as she ruined everyone's hearing for them.

With that in mind, he turned left instead of right, making his way to the (only) coffee machine of the station. Blasted murder woke him up at 5 in the morning and forced him to go without any caffeine for two hours! He needed something that would not only thaw the imaginary block of ice that hung heavily from his chest, but also help him keep his eyes open. To nobody's surprise, he found Liv hanging around the machine as well.

"Ah, Oreki!" His partner quite literally jumped from the where she sat, her curly hair bouncing behind her as she did so. "Did you finally remember we have a murder to solve? Or did you come by just to get yourself some more free coffee?" She was undoubtedly smirking as she teased him, though one could detect a hint of curiosity (and maybe even suspicion) as she spoke. Houtarou had _never_ run away from a crime scene, not even during his first days on the field; he made it his obligation to stay until every corner was powdered twice. She would be not only a bad cop but also a bad _friend_ if she didn't worry. "Allow me to disappoint you, there's no sugar left."

"Again? Damn." He cursed himself softly, eyebrows low on his forehead. "Well, another cup of bitter coffee it is. This has been going for a while, now; I think I just might get accustomed to the taste."

Liv didn't seem to mind all that much how he kept quiet about the only question she wanted an answer for. "I wonder why nobody has _asked_ the boss to keep better track on this stuff, yet."

He snorted, pressing the large green button on display, incredibly amused by the low and repetitive noise his action provoked. Every officer got to enjoy the latest tech available, but one still couldn't brew a cup of coffee without the entire facility knowing what they're up to. "Liv, why do you think they call her 'The Iron Lady'?"

"Oooh, right." The blonde supported her weight against the wall, resting right next to the table Houtarou was using so she could keep eye contact. "Is she really as terrifying as everyone says? I mean, we don't… talk much, so I wouldn't know." Liv chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure 90% of the people here have never talked with her, either, only received a few glares and annoyed grunts – maybe even a nod or two." The male detective started to sip his drink, wincing not at the temperature but the _taste_ of his beverage. He was most definitely lying, before; there was no way he could ever get used to coffee as dark and bitter as sin. "Consider yourself lucky you're not included in the 10% that has had a conversation with her."

"Speaking from experience, hum?"

"Let's just say, I would have declined this job if she hadn't stared me down into a very dark place, therefore forcing me to accept." Houtarou could feel his skin tingle, his hairs going up with fear in a quick shiver as he remembered not only the shape but the color of her sharp eyes.

"You never told me that!" Liv exploded with laughter, muffling her chuckles with one hand and slapping her knee with the other. It was indeed a rather comical mental image, but one he would rather keep far, _far_ away from his brain. "Oh man, I'm writing this down."

"Please don't. I might find that paper later." The two detectives left the coffee machine behind them, allowing their feet to guide the two to their office (it was a rather small room, all blues and whites with wooden tables, located on the far right of the station, which they both shared for some reason he didn't dare ask The Iron Lady about). The door – made of bullet proof glass like all the others – was closed but not locked, which wasn't a surprise as Liv did have the habit of visiting that compartment before going anywhere else.

"So, about this morning." She started once they were both in the comfort of their individual chairs. Their tables were set across each other on the room, with a nice rug and sofa, a smaller table with some magazines on top of it, in between the two. Each and every decorative item one could find in that room belonged to Liv. "Do you know the victim? If so, I'm sorry you had to see that but, you know how these things go. She'll put you off the case, when she hears."

"Then I better hope nobody tells her." He played with the corners of some papers absentmindedly, as he looked up at his partner. Houtarou had no doubt in his mind that Liv would be able to read him like a book (not that he had tried to resist).

" _You_ want _me_ to lie to the terrifying, all powerful boss? When did you get so wild, I wonder?" She was smiling and back to trying to crack some jokes, but her tone betrayed her.

"Look, you won't really be lying." It seemed that even she would have to be convinced into trusting him and his plans, every once in a while. Oh well, it wasn't like he had expected her to blindly accept, anyway. If she had, he would have spared quite a lot of energy, no doubt, but if he had to persuade Liv, he would do it in the quickest way possible. "I didn't actually know this guy, but I went to high-school with a cousin of his." Houtarou wouldn't give her much more information about Eru if he could help it. "They happen to share surnames. 'Chitanda' isn't exactly a common name, not even in a big city like Tokyo. So I sort of…" He didn't realize he was reaching for his neck, rubbing at it while looking for a fitting verb. "… Panicked, when you told me."

"Why, Oreki, I've never seen you show any emotion other than 'unimpressed' and 'extremely unimpressed'."

"Oh, no, you're wrong. I also have the 'about to insult you' card up my sleeve. Granted, that one only really comes to me when I'm around you."

"Be still, my beating heart." She joked yet again. "Okay, look. I'm willing to write down a half-truth on my report to The Iron Lady, but only if you promise me you won't do anything suspicious like that again."

A nod – that's all she got. "Thanks." He meant it and she knew it. He needn't say anything else.

Liv sighed, falling lazily against her chair. "So, wanna' hear about the case?" She didn't expect him to answer her rhetorical question. "I spoke with the gardener who called the authorities, some neighbors, the fiancée of the victim and her sister." With a flick of her wrist, she turned a page of her little notebook, unimpressed with the knowledge she had gathered. "Nobody claims to have heard or seen anything, and all their alibis check out."

"That's strange." Houtarou rested one elbow on his table, a hand lazily supporting his head. "Are you saying that a victim of several stabbings didn't make any noise whatsoever?"

"Well, I'm sure he did, it's just that nobody heard him." Liv made eye contact once again. "The people I spoke with, none of them seemed to be lying. And, I mean, it's to be expected! He had a huge house, an even bigger garden, and so did everyone else who lived close." Yet another yellow page got ripped from its place. "The wife-to-be didn't say much, she couldn't stop crying. I swear to you, talking with family members is never easy, no matter how many times I do it."

"Glad I leave that to you, then." He flashed her a very small, almost bittersweet smile, which she returned with a nod. "What _did_ she say?"

"A series of 'oh, who could have done this?' and 'what did he do to deserve his fate?'. Her alibi is her sister and vise-versa. I wanted to talk to them separately, but the sister almost sucked my soul once I tried to separate the two." Liv chuckled to herself. "The Jimoujou family, to which they both belong to, is a very successful one, but their businesses have seen brighter days, from what I could gather. The sister I was talking about – Yuki, her name was – even left because of this, continuing a life just as rich and prestigious as mine or yours. This marriage was very important to them; it was going to get the Jimoujous right on track."

"I'm guessing someone didn't want that happening."

"No kidding." She agreed with a soft tone. "I hate getting involved in rich people's dealings. It feels like I'm investigating the mafia or something."

"Ah, we're not quite that good just yet. Anything else worth mentioning?"

"Not really… The hair you found is still being analyzed, so we'll probably not be getting much from that until tomorrow or so. The victim's autopsy report _did_ arrive though -" Liv rose from her chair, walking to the other end of the room where Houtarou sat. She handed him a paper with text all over it, a very messy, red signature sitting nicely on the bottom of the sheet. "The stab wounds weren't as deep as we were originally thinking; I'm guessing that's how he had time to write that '71VV' message down."

"That would also explain all the blood…" Houtarou didn't actually care enough to read the report, he merely scrolled his eyes through the paper a few times, only stopping when he thought he had found something worth paying attention to. "It's a horrible way to die."

"You tell me." She sat on his table, precisely the way he hated her to sit. "We didn't find the murder weapon, and all the knife sets from the kitchen were full. Camera footage doesn't give us any clues either, but it did help the gardener! The poor thing would only have the 'I was cutting grass all night' excuse if the cameras hadn't caught him entering the house. I don't think the jury would believe him otherwise."

"Can you not sit on my desk like a savage?"

"If I _wanted_ to be a savage, I would start dancing and jumping up and down on it. Sitting is just an elegant way to annoy you."

"Is that supposed to make me feel any better?" His voice was incredulous, but she knew he didn't mean to offend her. _Well_ … not entirely, but he still wanted her to leave his damn desk alone.

"Hey, what did you call that friend of yours even for?" Changing the subject shouldn't come that easily to anyone, especially not to someone with the brains Liv Kurosawa had. "I mean, I get it that you'd want them to know as soon as possible, because _family members_ , but if they are related they are going to be questioned by us anyway. You could have waited."

"I told you, I _panicked_." The male detective insisted, green eyes shying away from her so her smart little head couldn't read him. He would keep his crush form as many people as he could. "Trust me, if I had remembered that would happen, I wouldn't have done what I did. I even had to call a really annoying friend to get her number; she called me a series of names in a very high pitched voice."

"You didn't even have her number?!" Liv inched closer, desperate to look him in the eye and mock him directly. "Oreki, you don't work that hard even when pressured, you're hiding something and I can basically _sense_ it."

"Go sense something else, then, _and get out of my table_ , woman!" When he turned back he was inches away from her face. The distance between the two almost reminded him of those days back at high-school, except now he wasn't looking at those breathtaking purple eyes, but a pair of shiny and rather embarrassed ones. It wasn't a comfortable position to be forced into, it had never been (not once), but at least Liv was finally _quiet_ , he thought. She blushed to the tip of her ears; it almost even felt like she had stopped breathing completely. Houtarou had expected her to move away within seconds, as she wasn't a big face of closeness of any kind, but she didn't… He had to be the one to act first. "Do you _mind_?" He asked quietly, irritated but strangely relaxed in his seat. If that had been Eru, he wasn't sure he would have been able to blink. "You are still sitting on an important paper."

As if she had been shaken from a dream, brought back to this world from another dimension, she jumped, awkwardly walking away. It was no secret that Liv… fancied her partner but, apparently, he was the only one who didn't know yet. "Sorry, about that." The blonde tried to let out at a few laughs, but they all sounded fake, weak, _forced_. "It's just that you don't talk much about your friends so I was curio-"

"Don't - finish that sentence." He instructed her very brusquely, not trying (and obviously failing) to be rude. When had the atmosphere around them become so heavy? "Look, her name's Chitanda Eru. We went to the same school, were part of the same club – I like to think that we were and still _are_ pretty good friends. I moved to Tokyo, and she became the head of her family, so we stopped talking. I guess it's possible I… missed her." The young man was hoping that telling her a little bit more about _her_ would help ease off the tension, but he totally missed the sweet look of nostalgia that overtook his features. He did not notice the softness of his eyes and voice as a million memories, some images and sounds only _she_ could mimic, came rushing back to toy with his emotions. He hadn't meant to, but he had just allowed his feelings to wander the room, free and open for anyone to see. "When I heard that a Chitanda was dead – murdered, of all things – I… I could only think about that _other_ Chitanda. Was it possible that she was in danger? Did she know something that could help the investigation? _Is there any change they aren't related at all and I'm just overthinking?_ " Being able to hear her voice was a big bonus.

Liv merely smiled sadly, her emerald like orbs drifting to the ground as she read in between the lines with the ease of a trained detective. "You big softy. I haven't seen you worry that much about anyone else but yourself!" The American sighed deeply, feeling uncharacteristically melancholic. There was something (a horrible thing, in fact) tugging at the strings of her joyful and bubbly heart. It tugged so hard, in fact, that she was sure they were going to break, but she wouldn't let them break right _there_ , oh no. "Oh well, seems like I can't compete with _that_." A rich, most definitely gorgeous girl he missed this much? Despite being so far away from her, and not making any contact for _at least_ three years? Yeah, right…

"What do you me-" He blinked confused, his voice heavy with curiosity.

"Oh wow, look at that, I'm _so_ hungry, are you hungry?" Not allowing him to say a word, she kept talking and talking. The worst way to get your heart broken is to never even let your feelings be considered. "You really aren't, are you? Just stay right there, I'm going to fetch something to eat. Don't know when I'll be back~!" She was smiling and he did see her smile. She started walking, then running and he did see her run.

But he did _not_ see her cry because, she was _totally_ not crying.

* * *

 **(I'm not crying either, Liv, don't worry! *sobbing* I know most people don't like OCs in these sort of stories, but please try to like my adorable little Liv; she's extremely fun to write. Also, as you can see here, she will not be getting in between our two main cuties so winkwink please like my blondie)**


	4. And warmth may they spell

Don't ever say that writing crime isn't hard, if someone hits you, it's your fault… ;w; I kind of knew what I was getting myself into, and I even know how to tie this crime up, but actually writing what I'm thinking in a way that makes sense and is interesting to read? I might need divine help, here. Anyway, I'm sorry I take so much time with these, I had some issues with security.

* * *

Liv's sudden exit happened far too quickly for him to act on it. The other cops, trained to observe and question, watched the pair from behind glass walls with a similar odd expression smeared across their faces like butter. Perhaps they could tell Houtarou what had just happened, since they seemed so interested? … Well, in all honesty, perhaps they _could_. As the young detective scanned his colleagues, they all shared a look and bent their eyebrows in pity. Who were they pitting? What was there to pity? He scattered for answers but his brain wasn't having it. He was going to need a lot more caffeine in his bloodstream if he intended to continue this day without losing his senses (and now he knew not to expect a decent cup of coffee from the station's machine).

And so, Houtarou reached for his coat and scarf, pushing the crumbled paperwork Liv had been _sitting on_ to the side, as he made a beeline for the exit himself. His head was starting to hurt, the eyes of his companions boring into his skull as he passed by and pretended not to notice.

He missed the artificial warmth of the station the second he stepped outside, but he was grateful for the absence of all those nosy cops. Outside, it was much calmer, with snow crunching underneath his boots and a rather peaceful gray sky overlooking his head. Oh, that ever familiar, neutral gray that so well described his personality. It was hard to imagine that he was once rose colored, one time during spring.

After a few quick minutes of driving, Houtarou parked and locked his car, stepping towards the cafe with haste as he tried desperately to hide his face from the cold. He didn't have to watch where he was going, anyway, he had this path memorized.

"Sweet dreams" the familiar cafe was called – a rather cheesy name for _anything_ , if he had to give his honest opinion. The walls were too bright for him and the waitresses too chatty but, by the gods he didn't believe in, they served the **best** coffee in the city.

This was also where Fukube Satoshi worked.

If it is hard to imagine this wild card as a waiter, try to imagine him as a farmer. Or a writer, or a plumber… Yes, a _plumber_.

The truth is that Satoshi's spirit couldn't be pinned and forced to stay down for very long. Every time he found a new job, (a new "opportunity for adventure" as he would call it), he would deliver himself 110% and quit 2 weeks later. Houtarou had never bothered to hide his disapproval and, from what he could tell, neither had Mayaka; but Satoshi chose to ignore them.

With a strong fist against the door, the small bell attached to the ceiling rang signaling his arrival. His other hand travelled upwards to jerk the snow off his hair before it began to thaw and soak him… He really didn't want to catch a cold, not when he had such an important case to crack.

He barely had any time to look up before he was greeted by that obnoxiously familiar voice. "Oh, Houtarou!" It was practically a yell, too – Satoshi still had no shame, even after all these years. He outright ran towards the table Houtarou had chosen, eyes wide and eyebrows high on his forehead. "I heard from Mayaka! … Is it really true?" He tried to whisper that last part, at least, but this was no way to approach a person with whom he wanted to share secrets.

"I can only imagine what 'it' means." Houtarou tried to sound oblivious, but his tone came out sarcastic at best.

"Come on, don't give me that!" He replied, looking like a kicked puppy. Satoshi lowered his head until he was close enough to gossip, taking advantage of his position to sit in front of him. "I mean the case, you lazy prick! Mayaka was worried about what you might have had to say, so she called Chitanda-san shortly after you did."

Houtarou sighed. "And you decided to eavesdrop on them. Shocking." He said as he flipped through the menu pages, idly searching for something to distract himself with. "Bring me the usual, _dear waiter_."

"I already knew you'd ask that." Satoshi pouted. He hadn't been working there for a very long time, but he knew his friend well enough to guess his order. Another waiter (a better one, no doubt) was already making his coffee behind the counter. "And I'll let you know that I _didn't_ eavesdrop! What kind of gentleman would I be if I did that?" His lips rolled up in a smirk. An exaggerated smirk.

"Precisely the one you're not."

"Hey-"

"You know better than anyone that I can't tell a civilian anything about ongoing investigations. Get off my back already." Houtarou frowned, already bored of this conversation and impatiently awaiting his coffee.

"But I'm not just some civilian! I'm your _database_ , remember?!"

"You were _something_ of the sort, but that was back in our high-school years. I'm actually a detective now, dealing with actual murders that need -"

"Houtarou. You are sounding like an old man."

"And you're acting like a brat." The young detective cracked a smirk of his own. "Don't you have a job to go back to, anyway? I know I do."

"Well, I'm already thinking about quitting anyway." You see now what I was telling you? "Even told my boss the other day before closing up the place."

"I wish you'd find a boss like mine, just this one time." He trailed off, startled by the waitress that appeared suddenly by his side, holding his order. He gave her a polite 'thank you' before the pretty lady went away, wearing a gracious smile on her face. "I'm not sure you'd survive a day."

"No I wouldn't because they wouldn't be able to scare me!" Satoshi chuckled like he was a boy about to get into trouble. "If I didn't like my superiors, I would just not accept the job offer. I'm not like you, you know?"

"A shame, you'd know true happiness if you were." Houtarou drank his coffee, eyes closing as he tasted that gloriously strong but still somehow sweet beverage.

"You know that _I_ know you're trying to change subject, right?"

"Yes, and I'm also aware that you're not going to give up until I tell you something." For all the good his determination could get him, he certainly decided to waste it on some pretty pointless things.

"Yep! So, really, you'd same more energy if you started talking." Satoshi leaned a bit closer, wearing the smuggest of smiles, with both hands supporting his head.

"It's not like I have much to share anyway." He gave another sip, lowering his tone so he wouldn't be heard by more interested civilians. That would end badly for him. "The murder weapon is a normal kitchen knife, cause of death is obviously stabbing, though the victim had enough time to leave a dying message."

"Ooooh, that's straight out of a crime novel!"

"It's an average day on the job." Houtarou sighed, melancholic. "Anyway, I still don't know what it means, and I haven't spoken with any of the suspects yet."

"That's odd. From what I've been told, you are a very thorough detective." He arched an eyebrow.

"I… Didn't stay at the crime scene for a very long time. That's when I called Mayaka."

Satoshi looked just as smug as he was before, if not even more. "I see. You were worried about dear Miss Chitanda's safety, were you?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, _yes_ , is that so bad?" Houtarou was quickly growing tired of this conversation. "Why is it that everyone's so bloody curious, if not _surprised_ about this? Can't I care about a friend?"

"Woah there, buddy, who is 'everyone'?" Satoshi tried to calm his friend down, holding his hands up in defeat.

"You, Mayaka, Liv." He let out a deep breath, looking to achieve his poker face once more. "I show that I care for a single second and suddenly it's 'who are you and where's the real Oreki Houtarou?'. Maybe I should start acting as heartless as you all paint me. I reckon I'd save more energy then."

"Calm down, it was only a question!" The atmosphere was slowly becoming too heavy for him. Satoshi was rose colored to the sun, his soul shined brighter than the sun at times, it didn't belong to this gray storm Houtarou was conjuring. "It's not that we think you're heartless, we've just come to expect you not to voice your true feelings. We know you care about your friends, we just don't know why you suddenly decided to show it more openly…" Satoshi trailed off before snorting. "Well, _I_ do but-"

"No. Don't even start."

"Houtarou, we are well past the point where we pretend like you don't fancy Chitanda-san. Where has that gotten you, all this time?"

He could only answer with silence, for he knew that, this time, his annoying orange eyed friend was right.

"Exactly." He gazed away with arms crossed. "I think you should just tell her how you feel already. I think she likes you too, but even if that wasn't the case, at least you'd be able to put that crush behind you."

"Yes, of course, what an excellent idea!" Houtarou replied, voice bitter with sarcasm. "I'll just leave all I've built here and go back to Kamiyama to tell Chitanda that I love her even though I spent years without so much as writing her a letter." The detective was now almost finished with his coffee, brows knitted together.

"Why not?!" He almost jumped on his seat. "Would it hurt that much to try?"

"Probably. Why do you think she didn't write me either?"

"Because you didn't, you dingus!" Satoshi face palmed himself so hard he left a mark. "She'd probably thinking the exact same thing you are! Gosh, you two are so frustrating."

"You speak as though you're forced to deal with 'us two'."

"I'm your best friend! And I'm Chitanda-san's friend too. I was involved before it became an issue."

"Ugh, just go back to your shift and leave me alone. I have a job to go back to myself."

"Right, that's just gonna' have to wait: I have something else to tell you."

"I hope it's worth my time."

"Oh, it is-" Satoshi smiled, almost like he wanted to save these words forever so he could taunt him over and over and get the same, delicious reaction. "Mayaka's throwing a Christmas Dinner Party."

"… Good for her?"

He chuckled, clearly not over. "You're invited."

"She knows I'm not going to-"

"And so is Chitanda-san."

Houtarou practically choked on his drink. He tried to muffle his coughs, to make them seem like a normal reaction to the weather outside, but his facial expression betrayed him. He got quite a lot of odd looks from the strangers around him. "R-Really?" Houtarou then whispered, attempting to get those eyes off him. "Why?!"

"Um, because they're friends?"

"You know what I mean, damn it! Chitanda's a business woman now, she probably had some important dinner on that date. How in the world did your _fiancée_ get her to agree?!"

"Oh, she can be quite persuasive when she wants to." Satoshi shrugged before sighing. "The Chitandas **were** going to have a family dinner during Christmas, but she feared that, once word of her cousin's death got out, they would lose their enthusiasm... Chitanda-san didn't want to be there for the depressing family gathering."

Houtarou could understand. The Chitandas mourned not only a close relative, but also an excellent doctor who, because he hadn't yet married yet, had nobody to pass down his wealth to. "Sounds like something Chitanda would say. 'Depressed' doesn't suit her."

"Yeah, I agree." Satoshi nodded, trying to cheer himself up, at this point. "You're coming right? We're her friends. We should be there to-"

"I'm going."

"What, really? It's that easy?"

"Yes." He finished his drink. "Who else is going?"

"Nobody. Mayaka was going to invite more people, but cancelled everything when she realized Chitanda-san was attending. She thinks she will feel more comfortable if we're her only company. I agree."

"Yeah, I think so too." He reached for his wallet and searched for some coins. Houtarou knew now why Satoshi had brought up his crush on Eru, before. He wanted to step carefully around the pound before jumping right into it, waters frigid and deadly if not tamed. "Here's my payment – now go back to work."

Satoshi faked a serious salute before cracking a friendly wink. "Sir, yes sir." He took his friends cash from his hands, double checking the amount. "Now, make sure you don't forget to come! I will drag you there, if you try to run away."

"Sure, whatever, I have to go now. Send me more details about the party when you can."

"Okay, idiot. Go catch that bastard already."

"That's what I've been trying to do." Houtarou allowed a crooked grin to break free before he left the café, stepping bravely into the snowy day as he searched for his car.

* * *

This one's short because I want to keep acts well divided. The next chapter should be up soon!


	5. They beat and dispair

Back at it again! This one's mostly dialog as I try _yet again_ to get Houtarou  & Eru in the same physical place so fluff can happen :3

* * *

Houtarou spent the rest of the day trying to reach Liv and avoid his boss. He knew he had a few interrogations to deal with, but he would need his trusty assistant to direct those, and that very same bubbly blonde was currently nowhere to be found.

He couldn't help but wonder what had happened that time in their office. He questioned himself again and again, trying to conjure possible motives for her outburst... Though every time he got too close to finding the correct answer – every time he considered that his partner _might_ have developed certain _feelings_ for him – he shook his head, deeming his idea either too ridiculous or too painful to think about.

If this was true, then he had accidentally rejected and hurt one of his most valued friends, without so much as giving her a change to explain and act upon her feelings. This was bad.

To distract his brain for these troubled thoughts, Houtarou wandered around the police station, helping out with other cases where he could, and catching up with the people who had been present at Yuzo's crime scene, earlier.

Without results from the lab or answers from their current suspects, he didn't actually have much else to work with. So far he only really knew that the (likely blond) killer had a way of knowing the inside of the victim's house, since they had managed to pass unnoticed by the security cameras.

That being said, things were starting to look grim for Yuzo's _pregnant_ wife-to-be, Jimoujou Naoko; Yuzo's dying message even seemed to spell out the first few letters of her family name. They _do_ say that, in crimes like these, the primary suspect tends to be the victim's spouse…

Still, the motive behind this crime didn't sit right with Naoko. She was going to marry this incredibly wealthy, handsome and (according to Eru) kind individual. After their marriage, all he ever had would soon belong to her as well – now that dream, much like Eru's cousin, is gone. Would she really bear the child of someone she merely intended to ruin? Was this baby really just a sick way to somehow still get his riches, in the end?

Morbid thoughts like these become normal after a few years as a homicide detective, but he wouldn't want to be the one telling Eru about this…

In any case, since he lacked the facts to support his hypothesis, he was likely drawing ridiculous conclusions. Perhaps he will laugh at his silliness once he finds the real killer… Perhaps he won't.

* * *

Houtarou was about to check the time, praying for this work day to be over, when a clumsy young man wobbled his way to his side, holding up a folder as his other hand reached up to place his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. "Here a-a-are the results of the h-hair you sent to the lab, s-sir. T-T-The DNA we found does not m-match the victim's, sir." He stuttered, as he always did.

"Thanks. Have you been able to trace it back to someone?" Houtarou took the file from his hands, reading the papers it contained.

"U-Un-Unfortunately, no, sir." The curly haired scientist replied. "Whoever it belongs to isn't on the s-s-system."

"Well done. Let me know if you find anything else."

"R-Right away, sir!" He exclaimed before taking a quick bow and going on his way.

Well, this could be a helpful lead. If they somehow managed to get a sample of Naoko's DNA then they would have a strong argument to defend or accuse her in court (and for Eru's sake, he hoped it wasn't the latter).

Of course, to do that they either needed Naoko's permission or a warrant, but without any real arguments to back up a warrant request... This could get tricky.

As Houtarou strolled (lazily) to his office, he saw many of his colleagues wrap up their work and slip on their coats, ready to leave the station. He couldn't remember ever being told that it was ok to leave early that day? He would have been halfway home, if that were the case!

"Hey, Sagawa." Houtarou called out to one of the few officers besides him who _wasn't_ making a run to the main entrance.

"What's up?" She looked up from her computer, wearing a motherly smile. It was still quite odd to see older people in ranks much lower than his.

"Why are those guys leaving already?"

"They're not going to stay in Tokyo for the holidays, since their families live outside the city; many of them need to catch their flights today or else they are going to be left in land." She chuckled a bit, crossing her arms. " _Somehow_ , they got good ol' Iron Lady to justify their absent days at work. She has already called substitutes in, not sure when they arrive though!"

"Huh." Houtarou nodded. His boss either really loved Christmas or was blackmailed into accepting his colleague's offer. Yup. There was definitely no other justification for this sudden act of kindness. "Had no idea."

" _Nobody_ told you?"

"If someone had, I wouldn't have asked you, right?" The young detective gave a weak smile.

"Oh, I suppose." Sagawa shrugged before looking away. "Man, I also wanted to leave early. It's been a particularly dull day."

"Tell me about it." Houtarou complained, massaging his neck. "Say, have you seen Liv?"

"No, dear… Did you two have a spat?" She handpicked her words, for she too knew of Liv's… infatuation with the detective.

"Not sure." He sighed. This lady was treating him like he was her son and, strangely, he didn't mind it. It had been far too long since he last had a talk with his actual mother. "I was talking about a friend and she sort of… Ran away."

"I fear that you said too much!" She shook her head. "Her motives aren't mine to guess or gossip about, but I think you should talk to her as soon as you can."

"She's not answering my calls-" It was Houtarou's time to shrug. He didn't like where this was going. "-and we even have a case to solve, here. Did I really insult her to the point where she doesn't want to work with me?"

"I-I can't really tell."

"Of course you can't…" He chuckled sadly. "Thanks for listening anyway. I'll be in my office if you need me."

* * *

The day ended without another word from his partner.

In fact, his phone would have remained silent for the rest of the evening if it hadn't been for Satoshi's text. Houtarou paused his dinner to read the message out loud.

" _ **Mayaka and I sorted out the details you asked about! Aren't we great?**_ " Houtarou read, mocking Satoshi's enthusiasm. " _ **Our dinner happens in two days, 8 pm at Mayaka's house (that's December 25 if you're horrible enough to forget the date of Christmas… or too poor to own a calendar)**_ **-** Satoshi, you little _shit_." The detective smirked, amused despite his words. " _ **Anyway, get an ugly sweater and don't be late. Mayaka might kill you for that.**_ "

He replied with a simple, very (intentionally) dry 'ok' and got yet another text from him not one minute later. This time he didn't read it out loud though… He wanted to imagine his best friend's childish tone and expression as he went on.

 **[20:48] Fukube Satoshi: didn't even thank me! what a terrible friend! whatever, don't tell me i didn't warn u when she actually ends ur life**

 **[20:52] Me: ok**

 **[20:53] Fukube Satoshi: asdfghj now i remember why i never text u** **（；** **＿** **¬)**

 **[20:58] Me: Hope you've learnt your lesson.**

 **[20:59] Me: (** ๑• **̀** **ㅂ** **•** **́)** و✧ **.**

Satoshi knew him well enough to understand his jokes. Houtarou really didn't hate socializing. In fact, living all alone in his apartment as he did, without so much as a dog to keep him company was quite depressing at times… These silly messages helped him unwind, they made sure Houtarou didn't go _mad_.

His phone vibrated again, letting him know that he got yet another message, but the name on the screen is what really surprised him.

[ **21:05] Chitanda Eru: Good evening, Oreki-san. I hope I'm not bothering you, but I did promise to send word soon. I heard from Mayaka that you're also coming to our friendly gathering. It pleases me to know that we will be seeing each other again soon.** ೭੧ **(** **)** ੭೨

His heart was beating fast against his chest, hammering away without any care for Houtarou's comfort. At least this time he had a while to sit back and think about his reply, instead of nervously stammering it during a call like a school boy.

 **[21:10] Me: I told you it was fine, didn't I? You're not bothering me at all. And yes, I have to agree. Do you know if we'll be exchanging gifts? ... I haven't bought anything yet.**

He let out a breath, trying to calm his nerves. Unsurprisingly, Eru was quick to answer.

[ **21:11] Chitanda Eru: Ahah! Sounds like the Oreki-san I remember, alright. I don't know if we will be exchanging gifts or not, but I've bought a few things for each person attending in any case.**

 **[21:13] Chitanda Eru: I hope you'll like your present.**

 **[21:13] Me: If it comes from you then**

No, he decided, scratching that last part out. Not quite ready for that yet.

 **[21:14] Me: I'm sure I will. And just what do you mean by what you said?**

 **[21:16] Chitanda Eru: Didn't mean to offend! It's just that you used to be very lazy back in high-school. You haven't bought anything yet, so I was reminded of that time!** **（** **‐** **‐** **）**

 **[21:18] Me: Not lazy – energy conserving. I thought you knew that much by now. In any case, Satoshi only told me about the meeting this morning, and I have been busy at work. Didn't have that much time to buy anything, but I did think about it.**

 **[21:20] Chitanda Eru: Of course, pardon me for forgetting! Hehe. It's still so strange, you working so hard every day. How have you survived this long?**

If this had been anyone else, he might have taken offence.

 **[21:20] Me: Who knows. I still think my sister's a witch. Maybe she's the one helping (or cursing) me through life in Tokyo.**

 **[21:21] Chitanda Eru: Oreki Tomoe-san? Hehe, that's a very mean thing to say about your sister! ˭̡̞(** **◞⁎** **ᆺ** **˂)** *****

 **[21:22] Me: Well, it's true. She must know how to read the future, if she got me this job so easily.**

 **[21:23] Chitanda Eru: Sometimes you sound like you don't like it there… Are you having problems?**

Oh, there were many problems he could complain about… He missed his old home, his parents and sister rarely had any time for him, work was super tiring, his partner Liv was mad at him for reasons he still didn't fully understand and, worst of all, he missed _her_. He missed her so much it hurt.

 **[21:25] Me: A few. Nothing you have to worry about, though.**

 **[21:25] Chitanda Eru: Hey, now. (** **｡** **•** **́** **︿** **•** **̀** **｡** **) Of course I have to worry, I'm your friend, right?**

"If only you were more than that." He whispered to the blandly decorated walls of the room.

 **[21:26] Me: Of course you are. I just don't think you need my problems to add up to yours.**

 **[21:27] Chitanda Eru: That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to help but… perhaps there is some reason to your words. We will be meeting soon, anyway. You could tell me about these problems then!**

Still stubborn, hum?

 **[21:28] Me: I guess I can't force you to change your mind. That has never worked before, if I can remember.**

 **[21:29] Chitanda Eru: Indeed!**

 **[21:32] Chitanda Eru: Oh, sorry, but I have to go. There's an important meeting I must attend to. I will see you in two days, if we don't speak before that. Cheers to you and your family, Oreki-san.**

The two hadn't even been having a conversation for that long, but he was already missing her. The pounding feeling on his chest was replaced by a sort of… hollow sensation. As overwhelming as the former might be, he favored it over the other.

 **[21:33] Me: I see. Have a good night, then. I will see you soon. Thanks and likewise.**

 **[21:35] Me:** **（ｖ＾＿＾）ｖ**

He decided to send in an emoji a few minutes later, so as not to leave on such a formal note (though he felt silly just as he pressed the send button).

Satoshi had mocked him before on several occasions for failing to understand the emotion the emoji were trying to depict. Apparently, after a heated argument with someone whose name Houtarou can't even bother to remember, the detective sent a provocative smirk instead of an apologetic smile… It comes without saying that the other man got the wrong idea.

Pushing that embarrassing thought aside, though, Houtarou went back to his trusty poker face as he scrolled down to re-read Eru's messages. Such a small, simple talk had brought him so much happiness… He really _was_ hopeless.

He sent yet another message to Liv, then another to his sister before changing into something more comfortable and flying to bed.

Sleeping was Houtarou's favorite activity – he could fall asleep at any time, in any place, but this was especially easy to do since he had woken up at 5 am.

After what couldn't have been more than 20 minutes of pure silence, he began to drive off to a world made of dreams…

She came to him that night, wearing vibrant golds and whites, fluttering her majestic wings like some angel sent straight from heaven as her hair, long and dark like chocolate, was caught in the breeze. She whispered to him sweet nothings and brushed her lips innocently against his forehead, a touch that drove him in, slashing the grey binds that held him.

When he woke up, his heart was a furious, flustered mess…

He wasn't _ever_ going to escape this feeling called love, was he?

* * *

I swear the moment with Sagawa isn't completely random!


End file.
